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An ionic order column fragment is seen near the rear facade of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. McNeese’s Leisure Series will take a 10-day trip to Greece from April 26-May 7 next year. (Special to the American Press)

Meeting at McNeese to give info on Leisure Series trip to Greece

The McNeese State University Alumni Center will host a preview 6-7:15 p.m. tonight for the Leisure Series’ 10-day spring trip
to Greece. The meeting is open to the public at no charge.

The trip will be helmed by Dr. Cheryl Ware, a retired McNeese professor who’s had her own apartment in Greece for years.

“It’s an amazing experience,” Ware
said. “You’re in a city, or country, that is the basis of western
culture in so many ways.
The homeland of where democracy originated. You might think of the
philosophers that you might have studied in college, you’ll
be where Socrates or Aristotle was, and where some of the most
important drama was produced.”

The trip itself will take place from April 26 to May 7.

Travelers will visit such locations as the Acropolis, the Agora, the Argolid, Meteora and much more. A unique feature of this
trip will include visiting local tavernas (coffee shops/restaurants) instead of dining at one central location.

“When you’re talking about restaurants, they’re going to sit you down and charge you a whole lot of money,” Ware said. “If
you go to the taverna where all the Greeks go, you’ll get a more authentic feel of what Greece is like. We’ll be eating at
all kinds of different places.”

Aside from visiting historic sites,
travelers will get a chance to see modern Athens, and have a chance to
go shopping in
Plaka and Monastraki. The trip is cocoordinated with The Athens
Center, which will also host some lectures and events on the
trip.

Starting in January, Leisure learning will hold meetings for the trip.

“In the spring, there will be a
symposium for four months that we’ll talk about things we’re going to
see, the history, the
architecture, the mythology, and that’s open not just for people
going on the trip, but anyone, including arm-chair travelers.

“I think that if people are interested
in getting information that they wouldn’t necessarily get on a packaged
tour, because
we have experts, such as, archeologist who’s worked in Greece for
most of his career. That kind of expertise isn’t what you
would get in most tours. If people are interested in one certain
thing, we’ll try to work it in.”